Summary

Mind in the Gap is a publication seeking submissions that explore topics from intergenerational perspectives, emphasizing connection and perspective-taking through creative and well-structured writing.

Abstract

Mind in the Gap invites writers to contribute stories that bridge generational divides, encouraging them to explore topics through the eyes of individuals from different age groups. The publication aims to foster understanding and connection across ages, welcoming a diverse range of subjects including life lessons, mental health, technology, and poetry. Submissions should be engaging, insightful, and free from discrimination or violence. They must be original, well-edited, and formatted according to provided guidelines, which also serve as a tool for writers aiming for broader distribution of their work. The publication emphasizes the importance of a captivating title and introduction, a coherent structure, and a thought-provoking conclusion. Mind in the Gap is currently accepting unpublished drafts through a submission form and encourages community building among writers.

Opinions

The publication values intergenerational insights, believing that such perspectives can lead to learning and a more connected society.
Mind in the Gap encourages creativity in writing, suggesting various topics and methods such as conversations, observations, or mini-interviews.
Quality and community are paramount; the publication discourages rushed, poorly structured, or unedited pieces, as well as any content that does not promote a sense of community or incites discrimination.
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, with a clear directive to reference images and cite sources appropriately within the text.
The publication prefers articles with a clear layout, avoiding the use of kickers, and aims for a reading time of 3–8 minutes for better engagement, though exceptions may be made.
Clickbait headlines, diary entries, unstructured pieces, and overt self-promotion are discouraged.
A comprehensive formatting guide is provided to increase the likelihood of a writer's piece being curated.
The editorial team is committed to a review process, providing feedback and notes for adjustments if necessary, and writers are notified of any changes made to their submissions.
Community engagement is encouraged through a Facebook group, fostering a supportive environment for writers to share and improve their work.

Submission Guidelines for Mind in the Gap

Join us and submit your story!

Artwork provided by the beautiful Carolina Manarte @corallmaga

Welcome to Mind in the Gap!

This is a publication for writers to explore any topic from the lens of others in a different age group from their own. We believe that when we put our minds in the gap that separates us, we can learn and grow more connected with each other.

We are looking for writers to step out of their own perspective and, through the eyes of someone in a different age group, find a fresh outlook! This could mean asking a grandparent, or even a small child, what they think about whatever topic you have chosen. Get creative! There is no limit to how many perspectives you bridge together.

What we are looking for:

The goal is always connection and perspective-taking. You can write about conversations, observations, or even get out in the field and do mini-interviews! The topics you choose to explore are entirely up to you! Here are some ideas:

Life lessons
Relationships
Self-improvement or self-discovery
Work and education
Productivity
Mental health
Nature
Travel
Spirituality
Technology
Poetry

In other words: let your imagination go wild. Get curious, be funny, insightful, or critical. But always find room for connection.

What we are NOT looking for:

Pieces that don’t include an intergenerational perspective on a topic.
Pieces that feel rushed, poorly structured, or sloppy.
Pieces that are flying in red all over the place — in other words, that have not been spellchecked or proofread. We suggest using the Grammarly Chrome extension to help you keep errors to a minimum. (We will also do a final edit before publishing, providing you with notes if necessary)
Pieces that do not promote a sense of community or that incite discrimination or violence of any kind. Be kind, please :)
Plagiarism. Make sure to reference any image you use and cite where applicable by embedding links into the text (don’t add a long list at the end). Generally, just don’t copy or steal other people’s work, it’s not cool.
There isn’t a strict limit on story length, but we like to keep stories between a 3–8 minute reading time for more engagement, however, we do make exceptions.
Clickbait headlines. Please do not mislead, exploit or promise things to readers that are dishonest, lack credibility, or are just provocative.
Diary entries or unstructured pieces.
CTAs and self-promotion. Do not fill your piece with links to your other stories, please. Calls to action should also be avoided unless they are small and at the end of the piece.

Formatting Guidelines

Just to make things easy and cohesive, the articles we publish will stick to this guideline, so please reference it when formatting your piece. This guideline is also an excellent tool if you want to increase your chances of getting curated, or “chosen for further distribution”. Yay!

The Best Medium Article Formatting Guide

A comprehensive guide to formatting Medium stories like a top writer

medium.com

Overall, we are looking for something that looks like this:

In a nutshell, you should make sure you have:

A clear layout form of Title/Subtitle/Image. Please avoid using kickers as these will be used for specific series later on.
A captivating title that clearly explains what the story is about and leaves the reader curious to know more.
An equally captivating introduction. Hook the reader from the start! An interesting quote or observation, an unexpected fact, a personal story. Get creative!
A flowing structure. Try to organize your ideas in a way that makes for a cohesive read, and so that your message is delivered in the best way possible.
A thought-provoking conclusion. Give the reader a takeaway to chew on. You may also answer the question in your title or headline if you had one, or simply, summarize the main points you made. Before submitting, ask yourself: how is this story different from others, and how can readers learn something from it?
We are currently looking for unpublished drafts only!

Become a Writer and Submit!

We would be delighted to have you on board! If you are interested in submitting a piece, please fill out this quick form, and we will add you as a writer as soon as possible!

Once added, you can submit your unpublished draft to the publication, and expect to hear back from us within 1–3 days. We will then review your piece and either accept it or ask for adjustments. The writer will be notified of any changes made.

One of our main goals is to build a community, so make sure you check out our Facebook page and connect with other writers as well! We all make each other better writers, and we all need each other to share our stories!

Thank you so much for dropping by! We hope to meet you soon, and read all your wonderful stories!

Love from the Mind in the Gap team! ❤